


All You Wanna Do (Is Brag About Kyoko)

by claraowl



Category: Skip Beat!
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Kuon pouts bc he can't brag about Kyoko openly yet lol, Oneshot, Six the Musical References, fan speculation, matching clothes, selfish oneshot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-18 16:06:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28869768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/claraowl/pseuds/claraowl
Summary: In which Kuon pouts because he cannot openly brag about Kyoko to the world as his Hizuri blood urges him to do, so he and Kyoko settle for subtly matching their clothes. Fans speculate.
Relationships: Mogami Kyoko/Tsuruga Ren
Comments: 30
Kudos: 98
Collections: Skip Beat Wonderland





	1. Chapter 1

**So I have decided to do another exercise in self-indulgent fanfic, presumably to the surprise of exactly no one. I hope you’re up for fluff, cuz that’s what you’re getting! I own nothing.**

It had started out subtle. A cufflink matching an earring here; some color coordinated socks there. One day her hair clip matched his tie clip. Then next, his belt matched her shoes. And so it went, until they had worked their way up to matching their shirt colors. That was when Yashiro started noticing (Lory, of course, had known from the beginning). Granted, their manager had the advantage, since he got to see them together in the car every day. So, he was the first to ask, “Do you two know that you match?”

“We do?” Kyoko asked, the picture of innocence. She looked up at Ren, wide-eyed, and laughed. “We do!”

“Apparently, Yashiro, you were the one to miss the memo,” Ren said, catching Kyoko’s eye with a grin. “Today is clearly a green day.”

They amped it up when winter came, actually wearing the same sweater (Kuon had two, and Kyoko ‘borrowed’ one). They were apart for most of the day, so no one but the usual suspects noticed. That is, no one noticed until the two of them met up in the evening for a ride home. And then it began.

Sawara raised an eyebrow at them, but said nothing.

Hachibana-san, a janitor with whom they were both friendly, complimented their sweaters. 

However, it was Amai, Kyoko’s co-worker on her latest drama, who stopped them in the hallway with a gasp. “Omigosh! Did you realize that you guys match?”

“We what?” they asked in unison, feigning surprise. Given their profession, this was far more convincing than it should have been. 

“You match! Look, your sweaters are the same!” She waved her hands between the two of them. “I didn’t notice at first because you’re wearing them so differently, but they’re the same!”

“That’s so weird,” Kyoko said with a laugh. “I guess one of us needs to change!”

“Is there like, something going on?” Amai asked in a hushed voice, her eyes darting between them. “Are you guys a thing? Or am I, like, on candid camera? Did President Takarada set this up?” 

Kyoko laughed again. “No, nothing like that. Just a coincidence.” 

Amai squinted at them, but did not press the issue. She would, however, continue to ask Kyoko about her relationship (whatever kind it may be) with Tsuruga-san for the remainder of their filming together. 

The ones they had constantly on them, aside from Kuon carrying her Corn stone and Kyoko, his necklace, were more subtle. They had matching wire anklets that Kyoko had made them -- ones that few people noticed and ones that they rarely had to remove. They also had the charm set Kuon had bought: a pair of lotus flowers. His was explained as a pun on his name; hers, as a reference to her breakthrough as Momiji. Her lotus flower dangled from her cell phone, while his was clipped onto his bag. Again, only the usual suspects noticed those. Or so they thought.

It was when Ren was caught in a casual “disguise” featuring a t-shirt of one of her latest projects (because Kuon is a doting dork) that they learned that someone else had been paying very close attention: their fans. The comments section of a fan blog featuring the picture blew up with fans laying out their conspiracy theories.

**TsurugaFan5Ev3r:** Omg that’s a  _ Six _ tee!!! *heart eyes* I didn’t know he was a fan!!!

**SmordsNBirbs:** Okay, hear me out: He’s a fan of Kyouko, not of  _ Six. _ Not only is he wearing merch of HER queen -- have you seen how much they’ve been matching lately? Something on them is always coordinated! They even wore the same sweater the other day, check the dates on these paparazzi pics:  Ren Kyouko *eyes emoji* Something’s def going on… especially since this pic was from the day she was wearing the K. Howard choker!!!

**MainlyMaineCoons:** Sure Smords, but did you notice how HAWT he looks in that shirt? Muscles for days in light gray? Yum. *fire emoji* *drooling face*

**GooseQueen:** I’ve got to side with Smords here. Have you guys seen their matching lotus charms? I’d even go so far as to say they’re dating.

**Mrs-Tsuruga-Ren:** Nooo! He belongs to us fans, he can’t date! He’s just got good taste in shows! *pouty face*

**SmordsNBirbs:** See, that’s why they’re starting with the matchy-matchy! He’s easing us into the idea of sharing him. Goose is right. They’re either dating or he wants to lol

**ShogaInTogas:** Please, like anyone could resist him. *heart*

**Sunny.Gems:** Hey, if we’ve got to share him with anyone, we could do worse than Kyouko! Have you SEEN her in the recorded version of  _ Six? _ That girl’s got pipes on her! I’d only ever seen her acting before, but wow! She made an awesome K. Howard. *heart* *music note*

**TartanDoggo:** I’ve been summoned. A) great shirt and B) I’ve got a video comp of every time they’ve matched since last summer. Including the anklets that appeared last August! You can only see those in a couple for Ren, because he’s always in long pants, but when he crosses his legs they hike up a bit and you can see it. Sometimes.  Link because I spent way too long on this. 

**Ren’s-GF-4-Real:** I can’t believe you’re all ignoring how good he looks in casual wear! Ugh, I swear I got pregnant just from LOOKING at this pic *sweating* *heart eyes* *dizzy*

“How’s it looking, princess?” Kuon asked. She was reading the blog comments on her phone while they snuggled on the couch.

Kyoko leaned into Kuon’s side. “So far, no one’s cursing me out.”

He tilted her phone gently so he could skim what she was reading. “Looks like they’re praising you.”

“But they’ve figured out way more than we’ve planned for. They even saw the anklets!” She double-tapped the comment to highlight it. “This is ahead of schedule for the reveal.” 

“I’m sure that boss has a contingency plan for it. Besides, it seems like it’s just a small community’s conspiracy for now.” His fingers stroked her side soothingly. “Plus, the idea of matching was to start these rumors. I just forgot how intense some fans are.”

“I still say you shouldn’t have worn the Kat shirt,” Kyoko grumbled. 

“And let Dad win?”

She twisted to look up at him. “Win? Win what?”

“We… um… may or may not be competing to see who can be the first one to show off merch from your latest projects.” He had the decency to at least pretend to look embarrassed… ‘pretend’ being the key word here.

She blinked up at him. “Why?”

“Because we love you.” He kissed her forehead. “We’re proud of you, and we want to show off your hard work.”

“I know that.” She blushed; it was still hard to believe how much they cared for her (albeit in different ways), but they made it hard to forget. “But why is it a competition?”

He pouted, looking away. 

“Kuon?”

“I want to help promote your work, too,” he grumbled. “Dad gets to brag about you all the time because of that interview you guys did together when we went to visit them. But I don’t get to. I know why I can’t and I know why we’re doing it this way, and I know it’s for the best in the long run.” He let out a deep sigh and flopped his head back against the couch like a sad puppy. “But I want to brag about you, too. I want everyone to know how awesome you are and how lucky I am that I get to love you.” 

She reached up and scratched him behind the ear. “There, there.” 

Recognizing her teasing, he turned on the puppy eyes. “I know I shouldn’t have worn it, but how else am I supposed to let everyone know who my queen is?”

“You could’ve matched colors,” she offered with a grin. “You look good in pink and black.”

“I know, but just the colors don’t promote your show.” He pouted pointedly at the ceiling. “And Dad got to post a reaction video of him being an outraged father that your character went through all that. And then being super proud of you for singing, acting, and dancing so well.” 

“Did you beat him to wearing the merch this time?” When his pout only increased, she crawled onto his lap. “My poor Kuon,” she said, cradling his jaw with her hands and making him look at her, “trying so hard, only to be beat to the punch by dear old Dad.” 

Kuon grumbled something about doting fathers not playing fair. 

“Would sending him a picture of us make you feel better?”

“Why?” He was still pouting, so she squished his cheeks, making his face look silly.

“Because even if you didn’t wear the merch first and you don’t get to go all Hizuri in an interview for another couple of months, you get to see me in person. Whereas we only get out there to visit a couple times a year.” She felt a little strange talking about herself like this, but it did the trick. Kuon’s smile finally returned.

“Do you have Kat’s necklace with you?” He looked around for his phone and grabbed it off the coffee table. 

“ _ And  _ her lipstick.” 

A few minutes later, Kuu received an adorable picture of his children. Kyoko was sitting next to Kuon, with her K. Howard choker on, her hair (still with its pink extensions for promo) up in a high ponytail, and her lips a bright pink. Kuon’s cheek had a matching lip mark on it. Both sported wide grins. The accompanying text was  _ Spending time with my Queen. _ Kuu immediately showed the picture to Julie and started gushing about the kids. 

Later, after the grand reveal of Hizuri Kuon and the fact that he was engaged to the love of his life, he and Kyoko would wear matching outfits to a premiere. The fans who had called their matching outfits long ago went wild when the pair confirmed (on the red carpet, no less!) that they had been doing this for ages. (But not as wild as when, months later, the newlyweds showed off their matching pjs on their joint Instagram page.)

**Wheeeeee, it’s done! It’s short and has no plot, but you don’t come here for plot. You come here for plot, so it’s what you got. I hope you enjoyed it!**


	2. In Which There Is a Livestream

**Welcome back to selfish fanfic, where I seem to be making my oneshots… not oneshots. Whatever! I own nothing.**

Some time after Kyoko’s performance as Katherine Howard and about a month after the whole t-shirt incident, Kyoko was planning a livestream. It was something that her fellow Queens had been doing for promo, it had seemed like fun, and Yashiro foresaw no problems with it. Kuon, wanting to be involved, volunteered to keep an eye on the stream quality and help her filter the chat. He had agreed not to talk, instead planning to highlight any questions or comments from fans in other ways. Kuon happily fussed with wires and plugs while she got ready. Soon, he had everything set up and ready to go in the guest room (luckily, there was a blank wall). There was a “Starting Soon” message on the screen and people were already in the chat. 

He was skimming through the comments when she walked into the room. “Thanks for getting everything set up, Corn!”

“You’re welcome, prin--” His jaw dropped. 

“Kuon?” She tilted her head, making her long, pink-extensions ponytail swish. 

“I… did not realize that you were going to be streaming in full costume.” And so she was, from her platform boots, to her cutaway skirt-shorts, to her bustier-like top, to her choker, to her makeup. Kuon whimpered. 

“I told you it was a Kat stream.” She looked down at herself, worried. “Why, does it look weird off of the stage?” 

He shook his head. “No, I just -- it kind of reminds me of something that Setsu would have worn, just more... pink. It’s sexy.” 

She giggled, her cheeks coloring. “Y’know, her clothes do remind me of Setsu. Not that Cain would let her out of the house in it without a fight.” She gave him a quick kiss and then walked around the streaming setup. “Almost time. Are we good to go?”

“You mean without Cain getting in a fight,” he muttered. “But yeah, we’re good. I’ll start the count-down. Do you want water?”

“Got it!” She held up the cup of water she’d brought in from the kitchen. He had been so distracted by her costume that he hadn’t noticed it. “Okay, I’ve got the laptop to read comments and I’m mic’d up. Can you hear me okay?” He gave her a thumbs-up.

3...2...1… “Hi, everyone, Kyouko here!” Kyoko smiled at the camera and gave a little wave. “Wow, there’s a lot of you here. Thanks for coming to hang out with me, queendom. Is the audio okay for everyone?” Kuon skimmed the comments and nodded. “Awesome! Okay, so this is going to be a pretty relaxed stream. I just wanted to talk to you guys, maybe answer some questions, and we’ll see where it goes. Does that sound good to you guys?”

Kuon watched fondly as she talked with her fans, exchanging pleasantries. After a few minutes, he typed a message to pop up only on her screen: Ready for questions?

“I’m glad that everyone’s doing so well! Now, if you want, we can do the Q and A section. Is there anything you want to know?” She laughed, then added, “Within reason, of course!”

Kuon, glad he had keyed this up before, displayed a question on the livestream video so that Kyoko and the audience could see it.

**KitKatHoward:** If you couldn’t be K. Howard, which other queen would you want to be?

“In real life, definitely Anna of Cleves.” She laughed. “She was the queen of the castle! She got rejected for her looks -- been there, done that--” she waved her hand “--but then she got paid off so Germany wouldn’t go to war. But if we’re talking about the musical, I’d like to either be Catherine Parr or my fellow beheaded cousin. They’ve got the best songs -- except for Kat’s, of course!” She winked at the camera. “Sorry, Not Sorry.”

**DivorcedBeheadedLIVE:** OMG please sing those!!!! Please????

“Sure, maybe later. We’ve really only just started the Q and A. I think I’ve heard them enough times in rehearsals to give them a go. Maybe we can find karaoke versions so I have my backup?” Her eyes flicked up to Kuon, and he nodded, already looking for them. “For now, how about some other questions?”

**SurviveParr:** Do you have any funny behind-the-scenes moments to share?

“Ooh, I have to think.” She bit her lip. “Okay, so we all went by our characters’ names in rehearsal, right? It helped us all get in character. But there’s  _ three _ Catherines! So anytime one of us was needed, we would all turn around. We had to go by last names for a while. Same problems with Anne and Anna. Only Jane was safe!” She laughed. “And then there was the first time we did the dance choreo in our heels. I tripped and knocked over Anne right at the beginning of “Lose Your Head” -- and then she fell right into Catalina. It was a mess. I’m just glad none of us fell off the stage.”

**AllUWannaDo:** How do you feel about your costume? It’s a lot skimpier than what the other queens wear.

Kuon nodded enthusiastically. It was too short!

She smiled. “I don’t mind it, really, since it works thematically. Kat was sexualized and victimized in life, so it makes sense that her costume would reflect that. On a personal level, it was actually kind of nice, since all that dancing makes you really warm! Especially with the stage lights. Parr was always drenched by the end of a performance because she’s got pants. But this is definitely not something I would wear on the street!” She laughed.

**Gin-ie:** How does live performance compare to your usual acting work/are you going to do more musicals?

“It’s a lot more chaotic, but it can also be a lot more fun! You can’t redo a take, so if you mess up, you just have to roll with it. And I really had to feed off of my fellow queens’ energy a lot more, especially for the musical numbers. Those are a lot more intense!” She took a sip of her water. “I’m always beat after a performance, because it’s kind of like a marathon. I guess I’m naturally more of a sprinter, if that makes sense? Because with dramas and films, there’s more breaks. But I do like being able to perform everything in order!” She grinned. “And about doing more musicals, I don’t know. I’m open to the possibility, but it does make scheduling more difficult for my other projects. So definitely, maybe?”

Kuon chuckled to himself, but not loudly enough to be caught on the mic. Poor Yukihito had been going spare trying to handle the scheduling and give her enough time to sleep. They’d even had to skip date night during hell week -- though that wasn’t as bad now that they lived together. He keyed up the next question.

**KyokoMyQu33n:** Marry me? I promise not to behead you~!

She blushed. “I’m really flattered, but I’m not looking for a partner right now. But thank you, I’m glad you wouldn’t cut off my head!” She made sure not to catch Kuon’s eye as she fought down her blush. He smirked.  _ She’s not looking for a partner because she already has one. _

**MioSama:** Are you going to release an album?

“Yes, the  _ Six _ album with the Japanese cast,” she tapped her choker’s K, “is coming out in two weeks! I hope you all will support us. It was a lot of fun recording it! And,” she spoke in a stage whisper, “the first one hundred copies sold come with a signed shirt from the cast!” 

The chat went wild at that, forcing Kuon to search harder for the next question. Unfortunately, the one he found was:

**SmordsNBirbs:** Any comment on the fan theory that you and Tsuruga Ren-sama are a thing? He DID wear Kat’s shirt, after all.

Kyoko’s eyes widened and her blush returned in full force. “Oh my gosh, are people saying that?” Her hands came up to cover her bright pink lips. “That’s a new one to me! But no, Tsuruga-san and I aren’t a thing.”  _ Kuon is another matter _ , she thought, her hand coming down to play with her necklace _. _ “We’re friendly, but no. I wouldn’t be adverse to it, but it’d be hard to find a girl in Japan who is!” They had talked about this earlier -- Kuon was going to pull up any fan theories for her to partially debunk but not fully deny. Still, it was embarrassing. 

**RoyalingStones:** What did you mean by “been there done that” about being rejected for your looks? You’re gorgeous!

“Aw, thank you,” she said, playing with her hair. “But yeah, that happened when I was sixteen, a little bit before I got into acting. My closest -- well, my  _ only _ friend at that point -- was trying to be cool in front of a girl he liked. She asked about me, because I’d known him my whole life, and he made it  _ incredibly _ clear that he had no interest in someone as,” she did air quotes, ““Plain and boring” as me. All while knowing I’d had a crush on him forever -- subtlety was never my strong suit!” She laughed. “But yeah. That, and a few other things he said, made it clear that he didn’t even think of me as a friend, so that kind of ending things. And I may not have a castle, but I think I’m doing okay!” She grinned, not a scrap of pain in her voice at any point. It really was all in the past.

**TudorVonTrapps:** Do you have a favorite English-speaking Kat Howard?

Kyoko blew out a deep breath. “That’s a hard one! I guess I’ll go with Aimee Atkinson-san? I loved her West End performance. But that was the first version I saw, so I may be biased.” She gave a little giggle that made Kuon’s heart melt. 

**SunlitKook:** Wait, wait, wait. Before you said you weren’t looking for a partner. Does that mean you already have one?

She laughed. “I think that my schedule would drive anyone insane. I feel like I’ve barely seen anyone other than the cast and crew lately, and maybe my roommate. All I do when I get home is eat something and then pass out.”  _ Though sometimes, we have time for cuddles. _

**MioSama:** Who would win in a fight, Mio or K. Howard?

“Probably Mio?” She twirled the end of her ponytail. “Kat was awesome in her own way, obviously, and did her best as a queen, but she didn’t have the overwhelming hatred that Mio did. They were both damaged people, but they expressed it differently. Kat just wanted to be loved, but the only type of love she’d been shown was… horrific. Mio lashed out at the world that hurt her, hurting it back however she could. So if there was a reason to do so… Mio would win. That is, if she could get past the guards!” She smiled awkwardly. “Though Kat could’ve used someone like Mio on her side. Maybe  _ she _ would’ve been the one to survive, then.” She picked up her cup and mimed pouring something small into it, a very Mio expression on her face. 

**AlmightySmoo:** Sooo… I might have drawn you as Kat. What do you think?  Link.

Kyoko glanced at Kuon, who gave her a thumbs-up, and then clicked on the link. Her eyes went wide. “Oh, wow! You’re an amazing artist! I feel like you really captured Kat’s personality in this. It’s incredible! I’m honored to have been drawn by you!” She gushed over it for a few more moments before Kuon sent her a message, reminding her that she was live. “Right, sorry. I’ve just never seen any fanart before, so I’m all flustered.” 

**TartanDoggo:** Are you going to do any more performances as Kat?

“Ah, yes! We’ve got another round coming up next month, but then new performers will pick up the crowns. But,” she added with a conspiratorial grin, “I know for a fact that there’s at least three variety show appearances coming up. We’ve filmed two and there’s a third being shot on Wednesday. So keep your eyes open!”  _ There, I think that’s all the things I needed to promote. _

**NarniaCat:** Did you see the video that Hizuri Kuu-sama did?

She winced. “Don’t tell him, but I haven’t had a chance to watch all of it yet! I mostly got the highlights from my manager. Everything’s been so busy that this is the first time I’ve had to just sit down and talk to someone.” A thought struck her, and she locked eyes with Kuon. He nodded, and a few moments later, Kuu’s video showed up on the screen. “Okay, can everyone still see me?” She scanned the chat, and soon Kuon pulled her up in a small square. “Oh, good. Would you guys mind terribly if we watched it together right now?” She giggled, reading the chat. “Aw, thanks, guys. Okay, let’s watch!”

_ The video opens to Kuu sitting at a table in bright green headphones. It is in Japanese with English subtitles, indicating that it is meant for people who know Kyoko is. “Hey, everyone! I know I’m usually on a different screen, but my acting daughter just made her stage debut and Julie’s in a different time zone. I’m going to watch the whole thing in a minute, but I have to watch her song first! Here we go!”  _

_ [The video opens to Kyoko as Katherine Howard, sassing the other queens.]  _

_ Kuu laughs.  _

_ [The song begins. Kyoko starts singing.]  _

_ Kuu’s eyebrows start knitting together. When she mentioned the age gap between Kat and Henry Mannox, he pauses the video for a moment with a look of absolute horror on his face. “She was thirteen?” he whispers, and restarts the video. _

_ [Kat makes a very sexual pun using musical scale, including a dance gesture.] _

_ Kuu recoiles in his chair. “My poor daughter!” _

Kyoko, watching, winced. “You know, I never realized how Kat’s gestures come across during that.”

_ As the video progresses, Kuu remains silent, but the horror and rage on his face grows. It’s clear that he is seeing Kyoko as her character. When the video ends, he sits back in silence for a moment. At last, he says, “I never knew how horrible Katherine Howard’s life was. She married Henry VIII when she was barely older than Kyoko was when we met. And to have gone through all of that, before and after that…” He shakes his head. “As a father and as a man, this is beyond appalling. I don’t think I’ve ever been gladder that Kyoko isn’t her character.” _

_ Suddenly, he straightens up. “Now, from the performance perspective! I couldn’t be prouder of my daughter! My little girl is a triple threat! She’s going to be here in Hollywood before we know it, let me tell you. She’s incredible on that stage, did you see how smoothly she moves? And those high notes!”  _

He went on in this vein for another minute before Kyoko checked the time stamp and confirmed that he was on a Hizuri rant. She glanced at Kuon, who switched the screen back to the way it was originally. Kyoko was full-screen again and bright pink. “Well, he’s certainly a doting father. Even if he does exaggerate a lot!” 

**Sunny-Gems:** OMG. Total oya-baka! He’s mentioned unofficially adopting you, but how did you two meet? I couldn’t find a good sub of the interview.

“I actually got assigned to cook for him when he was in Japan!” She beamed. “I grew up at a family friend’s ryokan in Kyoto, so President Takarada asked me to make him Kyoto-style food. And I guess he really liked it, because he decided to have me play a version of his son to practice acting. This was still during  _ Dark Moon _ , remember, so I was  _ really _ in need of training. After that, it just kind of… stuck. I’d never had anyone to call Dad before, and since his own son is out on his own now, I think he had a bit of empty-nest syndrome going.” Behind the camera, Kuon stifled a snort. “I was just the one lucky enough to pop into that role and receive his fatherly energy!” 

**GooseQueen:** You know where Kuon-san is? Hasn’t Hollywood been looking for him for years?

“I have a few ideas, but it’s not really my place to say. I’m sorry.” The way she said it shut down any further questions.  _ Okay, Kuon, I know you’re doing this to assuage suspicions, but that was unsettling to see. _

**MainlyMaineCoons:** So… about those songs?

“Sure! Which one do you guys want me to do? Put it in the chat and I’ll see which one has the most.” A minute of rapidly scrolling chat later, it was decided that Kyoko would be doing “All You Wanna Do” followed by “Don’t Lose Your Head.” 

“Are you ready for a beheaded cousins double feature?” Kyoko asked, and with a snap of her fingers, she was Katherine Howard.

Kuon watched her sing. He had mixed feelings about this song. He loved how she sang it -- her voice was incredibly sexy at the beginning, and became desperate at the end, befitting the song. But he couldn’t help putting himself in the shoes of the men she sang about. Sure, at this age, four years wasn’t a lot -- but she had been  _ sixteen _ when he’d fallen for her. Granted, they hadn’t started dating until she was older, but still. He still felt guilty at times, especially when she sang this song. She sang it beautifully and danced a bit in her chair; he loved watching her. But wasn’t it a bit wrong to be attracted to her while she sang about a child who had been abused and assaulted, then killed for it? He had to agree with Dad: He had never been gladder that Kyoko wasn’t her character. 

“...The only thing you wanna do is,” she blew a kiss to the camera, finishing the song. She took a swig of her water and shook off Kat. “Alright, are you ready to lose your head?” She winked at the camera, and Kuon cued the music.

“Grew up in the French court…”

This one was easier for Kuon. Kyoko’s take on Anne reminded him a bit of Natsu, if a bit flirtier than she ever got in the show (and certainly less in control). It wasn’t all that historically accurate, but it was a musical. He bounced along to the song, making Kyoko grin. He loved how she did the chorus.  _ She’s just so adorable. _ Her Anne was so  _ cheeky _ and  _ bratty _ , sides he rarely saw from Kyoko. He wanted to see more of those sides. Wanted her to voice what she wanted to him, no matter what. To sass him and tease him and chase him down. 

“Last one, loves!” Kyoko exclaimed. “Let’s Get Down!” 

Kuon propped his chin on his hand and watched her, forgetting to police the chat. He had to admit that this was one of his favorite songs. Maybe it was that it was the happiest. Or maybe it was that Kyoko admitted that Anna of Cleves would be her real-life pick. Or maybe, just maybe, it was the way Kyoko’s voice became rough when she sang, “I’m the queen of the castle, get down you dirty rascal!” Okay, it was definitely the last one. He bit his lip as he watched and listened.  _ Queen of the castle, indeed. I would love to ‘get down’ with her.  _ He jerked his head and went back to the chat.  _ Focus, Kuon. _

__ Kyoko’s eyes locked with his over the camera and her voice growled, “Get  _ down _ you dirty  _ rascal! _ ” 

_ She knows exactly what she’s doing to me.  _

“‘Cause I’m the queen of the castle!” Kyoko sang-whispered, finishing the song. Her smile dragged her teeth across her lower lip, and Kuon wanted those to be his teeth instead. She sat back down in her chair and took a drink of her water. “Whew!” She smiled at the camera. “It’s so strange singing without my fellow queens. I hope you all still liked it!”

**The1Tru3Qu33n:** OMG that was amazing!!! Bow down to the queen!

“Aww, thank you!” Kyoko bobbed an adorable little bow. “So, we’re almost out of time -- do you all have anything else you wanted to talk about?”

**NarniaCat:** Can we go back to the you-and-Tsuruga-sama rumors? Because I think there’s more there! You never touched on the fact that he was wearing Kat’s shirt the same day that you were wearing her choker!

Before Kyoko could reply, Kuon pulled up a second comment:

**GooseQueen:** Not to mention the dozens of other times you two have been seen matching -- it’s really got people thinking that you’re together.

“I don’t really know what to say to that,” Kyoko laughed. “I didn’t know we’d been matching. But I can explain the shirt!” She smiled, ignoring Kuon pressing his lips into a thin line behind the camera. “So, it turns out that Tsuruga-san  _ really _ likes musicals. I think I mentioned before that we’re friendly? Anyway, we ran into each other at LME and were talking about upcoming projects when I mentioned that I was going to be Kat. His face lit up,” she mimicked his supposed expression, “and he started going on about Broadway!” She giggled. “It was the last thing I expected from him, you know? He’s so serious.”

Kuon blushed. She wasn’t lying, not really -- this had just taken place in their apartment, not at LME. And yes, he was a musical theatre nerd. Growing up with Julie would do that to you. It had started with  _ The Lion King _ and spiralled out of control from there. 

“So we each had a few tickets to give out to friends for opening night -- to help fill seats, you know? -- and so I invited him and Yashiro-san. Oh -- um, Yashiro-san is his manager… super-manager, really!” She grinned, fiddling with her necklace. “But yeah. They came, along with some of my friends and my old landlords. He insisted on buying some merch to help promote the show as thanks.” She rolled her eyes. “I told him it wasn’t necessary, but you really can’t argue with Tsuruga Ren. As for why it was just Kat, and not the whole cast on his shirt, there’d been an issue with the printer.” She gave the camera an awkward little smile. “We didn’t get whole-cast shirts until the next weekend! So I guess he got a Kat shirt because he’d gotten his ticket from me. I hope that answers your question.”

Again, mostly true. There  _ had _ been an issue with the printer and a delay with the shirts. But he  _ definitely _ hadn’t bought and worn that shirt out of simple gratitude. 

**ShogaInTogas:** Was it a coincidence that you wore your Kat necklace the same day he wore the shirt, then?

She huckished with her necklace again. “Yeah. I figured he’d be wearing it some time around then, but I didn’t know the exact day.”  _ Until I woke up to him burning eggs while wearing it. _ “I guess I was lucky!”

**Sunny-Gems:** What did the other queens think of him wearing the shirt?

She grinned. “Well, they were really glad that he was promoting our show, of course! But,” she lowered her voice conspiratorially, “I think a couple of them were jealous that he didn’t pick  _ their  _ queen.” She then said at a more normal volume, “Which I can’t blame them for! I’d feel the same way. Maybe we should send him a full-cast shirt.”

**MainlyMaineCoons:** Yes!!! Do it!!! Also, what’s your favorite piece of your costume and do you get to keep it after the show’s over?

“I’ll see if I can talk the marketing department into it, then!” She paused to think for a minute. “I sadly don’t get to keep the costume -- the next Kat will need it -- but I have been considering making my own version of it if I ever have the time. And I’d have to say that the choker is my favorite.” She tapped on the K and winked. “I really enjoy the triple symbolism.”

Kuon almost choked on his own spit.  _ Kyoko, Katherine, and…. _

Kyoko heaved a great sigh. “And unfortunately, loves, this is where I have to leave you! I need to go eat dinner before my mic starts picking up my stomach growling. It’s been wonderful being able to talk to you all, and AlmightySmoo-san, please know that as soon as Father sees this livestream he’s going to print out that artwork and put it on his fridge.” (This was true. When Kuu saw it a few hours later -- and cursed the time difference for making him sleep during the livestream -- he printed it out and put it on his fridge. And then proceeded to commission a large number of pieces from the artist, for all of which he insisted on overpaying. Because he is Kuu and there is no known cure.) 

After wrapping up the livestream, Kyoko stood and stretched. “That was so much fun! I’m glad people actually showed up.” Before Kuon could tease her in reply, her stomach growled fiercely. She wrapped both arms over her exposed waist, blushing. “At least you waited until we were done.”

He stood and pecked her on the forehead. “You go get changed and I’ll start chopping veggies?”

“You are the  _ best _ .” She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a proper kiss, before leaving to do just that.

**vVvVvVvVvVv**

While Kyoko and Kuon were off having dinner and then a cuddle session, the forums were ablaze. They were picking apart the livestream for hints and cross-referencing it with previous theories. 

**SmordsNBirbs:** Okay okay okay. I know there’s a LOT to talk about here, but can we first talk about how there was someone else filming her? She’s obviously at home, so it must be the roommate that she mentioned. But hear me out: That’s not a normal roomie, that’s Tsuruga-san. Meaning they’re REALLY serious. 

**CorvidLuver:** Absolutely. Her reactions wouldn’t make sense if it was like, just one of her friends. Especially  this part of “Get Down.” She looked over the camera for that -- right when her voice went all smoky and sexy. *heart eyes* Though I  _ could _ see it being Kanae-sama….

**Kyouko-Sama’s-Girl:** I meaaaaan. Yes. Have you seen how she greets Kanae-sama? Total eager-puppy vibes.

**CorvidLuver:** OMG. What if the third K -- you know she said it had triple symbolism, so like Katherine Howard and Kyouko-sama are the first two -- is for Kanae-sama?

**Sunny-Gems:** Ooh, I like that idea. My idea was a bit more fringe. *smiling sweatdrop* I was going to say that the third one was Kuon -- like, Hizuri Kuon-san. She seems to know where he is, but won’t say -- and that would explain why she’s so comfortable calling Hizuri Kuu-sama “Father.” And she  _ did _ seem pretty insistent that she’s not with Tsuruga-san, but never really denied having a partner! So yeah. Either Kanae-sama or Kuon-san for the third meaning (unless we want to get kinky… it IS a choker, after all).

**GooseQueen:** I’ll admit that’s an interesting theory, but what about all the times she and Tsuruga-sama have been matching lately? And I’m not sure if I buy her story about his shirt… she was messing with her necklace the whole time. I think she was at least bending the truth. I don’t know what the other meaning to the choker would be, but I’m still leaning towards the cameraman being Tsuruga-san. Where her eyes went seemed to match where his would be, height-wise, if they were both sitting. 

**NarniaCat:** Yeah, I’ve gotta go with Goose. Her twiddling with the choker really seems like it’s a tell for lying. But then, she IS an actress, so like, it’s hard to tell. Maybe she was doing it on purpose to throw us off?

**SaltyOnigiri:** I mean, it’s possible. But I feel like we’re ignoring how cute her reaction was when we brought up the dating rumors! Total *surprised Pikachu face* and pink cheeks. Plus, she said she wouldn’t be adverse to dating him -- I don’t know if she’d say that if she were living with a partner who  _ wasn’t _ him. 

**Mrs.TsurugaRen:** She could, since she’s clearly a slut. I mean, look at her characters. I bet she’s just a type-casted bitch. You’re all delusional if you think that Ren-sama is dating her!

“What are you reading?” Kyoko asked, her grudges popping out and circling Kuon’s suddenly dark aura. They had been relaxing after dinner, trying to stir themselves enough to wash the dishes. 

Kuon muttered darkly and started typing furiously on his phone. Kyoko raised herself onto her knees to peer at his phone.

**PrinceCorn:** First of all how DARE you. Kyouko-sama is such an incredible actress, dancer, and singer that HIZURI KUU acknowledges her talent. And everyone who’s ever worked with her has nothing but good things to say about how sweet and polite she is! You’re clearly just jealous that she’s achieved such amazing things and can become anyone while you’re stuck behind your screen in your small little lifea\grep’nzfd--

“Kuon, stop!” Kyoko dragged on his arm, causing him to keysmash. “Leave it alone.”

“But they’re insulting you!” He pointed indignantly at the screen. “And I’m just supposed to sit here and let it happen?”

“Yes, you are.” She stole his phone and deleted the comment. “Because it’s just a forum. It doesn’t matter what they’re saying, especially since it’s just the one person right now.”

“But doesn’t it bother you?”  _ How are you so unconcerned? _

“Not really.” She pecked his cheek. “C’mon, you know that my skin’s thicker than that. It’s nowhere near as bad as hearing it behind my back at school. Besides,” she added, clicking back onto the forum, “it looks like whoever was in charge blocked them already.”

“Ah, good.” He pressed his lips into a line. “I’m still angry at them, though.”

“And that’s sweet.” This time, she pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth, making his muscles relax. “I appreciate you wanting to fight for me, Corn.”

“But…?”

“But maybe choose your battles.” She giggled and settled into his lap.

“This coming from the woman who set Mio on someone who was being catty to me at Dad’s last party.” He chuckled and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “Pot, meet kettle.”

She nipped at his jaw. “Oh, shush. They were being mean in person. And it made them leave you alone.”

“If they hadn’t blocked that person, I would’ve typed that comment back out again, you know,” he grumbled. 

“I know.” He could feel her grin against the skin of his neck. “I just wanted to give the moderators a chance to handle it first.” 

He clicked back onto the forum. “It looks like they’re all being nice again.” 

“Good. Then let me distract you?” She pressed a kiss to his jaw.

“We do need to do the dishes, don’t we,” he sighed. 

“I mean, yeah, but that wasn’t what I was thinking.” 

“Oh?”

“Moko’s new drama premieres in a few minutes! I was thinking we could watch a little of it before cleaning up and going to bed, if that’s okay?” Her fingers came trailed up and played with the hair at the base of his neck. 

He felt his eyelids droop as her fingers worked further into his hair. “Sure thing, princess. Which one is it?”

She answered him, then asked, “Do you have a headache?”

“Mmm. A little one, maybe.” She climbed off of his lap, and he let out a sad whine. 

“C’mere.” She had scooted a little bit away and was patting her lap, a smile on her face. He gladly flopped sideways, his head landing on her thighs. She flipped to the right channel , then set the remote aside and buried her fingers in his hair. “Thank you again for managing the live stream for me. I know it stressed you out.” 

“Mmm….” His words were gone. All that existed were her fingers, rubbing away his tension. She smiled down at him, half-dozing on her lap, before turning her attention to her best friend’s show.

While the pair were busy being blissfully domestic, the previous argument on the forum was going round and round in circles. No one seemed to be able to come to a definitive conclusion as to who Kyoko’s mysterious partner was. Kuon and Ren were tied, with a small but firm base for Kanae hanging on. Of course, when the truth was eventually revealed (all at once, because Kuon is a cruel, cruel man), madness ensued. But until then, theories abounded. 

**Whee! I hope you all enjoyed that. That was fun for me, at least. Let me know what you think!**


	3. In Which Kuon Watches a Video

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuon is away for work when a video pops up on Kyoko's fansite, so he steps into the candy store.

**And I’m back for round three! This time, featuring the second musical I’m obsessed with:** **_Heathers_ ** **. I own nothing!**

Kuon sighed as he returned to his hotel room. Okinawa was nice this time of year, and the weather was cooperating for filming, but he missed Kyoko. He couldn’t even call her, since she had a performance tonight. He knew from experience that she was going to be too tired afterwards to hold a coherent conversation, no matter how hard she tried. Thankfully, he would be home the day after tomorrow. He hoped that she was taking care of herself.

He sent her a message sending his love (and reporting what he’d had for dinner), then flopped onto his bed.  _ I’m so bored. _ He’d used studying his script as an excuse to ignore his (very grabby) co-star, so he didn’t really need to read it again tonight. He had no interest in going drinking some of his other co-stars, especially considering the establishment they’d chosen. Even if he  _ had _ wanted to go, Yuki would have recommended against it.  _ Granted, I went to worse places back in L.A…. _ He was three seconds from rooting through the hotel drawers for cards to play solitaire when he got a notification. 

He clicked on it eagerly. It was from Kyoko’s fansite, letting him know that someone had posted a video.  _ Not as good as a phone call, but this will help me get my Kyoko fix. _

The video seemed to be filmed from someone’s personal cell phone. The lighting was rather bad, the background noise was cacophonous, and the person’s hand shook from time to time. They were trying to zoom in on a table partway across the room of what looked like a karaoke bar. It was hard to tell, but the uploader had added text pointing to a group of four girls, identifying them: Matsunai Ruriko, Amamiya Chiori, Kotonami Kanae, and, of course, Kyouko.

_ Oh, _ Kuon thought.  _ This must be from yesterday. _ Kyoko and Ruriko, who had grown to be good friends during  _ Six _ (Ruriko played Anne Boleyn), were doing promo for the show, and had brought Kanae and Chiori along for fun and promotion. Kuon recognized Asu, Kyoko’s bodyguard and Yashiro’s assistant manager, also sitting at the table with them. He was glad that she was with them, especially since he and Yuki were so far away. Well, it’s not like he could have gone with her anyway. Not yet, at least. Not without the press and their fans having a field day. 

The person taking the video let out an audible gasp as Kyouko stood up, pulling Ruriko with her, and went over to talk to the person in charge of the karaoke machine. Whatever happened next was obscured by someone walking in front of the camera. The video then cut to Kyoko and Ruriko on the karaoke stage, lit up by a spotlight. The room was silent now, except for Ruriko’s voice, “...So we thought we’d do a little beheaded cousins duet for you all and see where things go!”

“After all, the owner was so wonderful to give us the stage for a few songs. What do you all think?” Kyoko asked. The camera shook as the poster tried to get it to focus. They seemed to find a good way to prop their elbows, though, as it suddenly became a stable image. One off to the side of the stage and obviously zoomed in, but still a stable image. Kuon turned his volume up higher. Ruriko punched in the song and the pair started singing “Don’t Lose Your Head.” Kyoko provided the backup vocals to Ruriko’s Anne, playing up her expressions for the entertainment of the crowd. Kuon was relieved that they weren’t doing “All You Wanna Do.” It was a bit too dark for most locales. 

Granted, Ruriko’s late-song crack about how Henry must’ve  _ really _ liked her head wasn’t exactly clean. But at least it was consistent, as he’d seen a couple of other Annes say that in the live performance recordings he’d watched with Kyoko.

When the song ended, Kyoko stepped forward. “Now, I think we all know that  _ my _ queen’s song is a bit… much. But what would you all think of taking a step outside the queendom? Maybe over to another musical?”

Kuon’s eyebrows shot up. What other musical did Kyoko know well enough to perform?

When the crowd approved, Kyoko grinned. “Well, then, I think we need some backup. Kanae, Chiori, do you want to join us?”

The camera zoomed out a bit to capture the other two girls joining them onstage. Asu lingered nearby. The two actresses waved to the karaoke bar and accepted microphones from an assistant. Kyoko winked to the crowd as Ruriko stepped into place to her left, Kanae to her right, and Chiori stood a little ways away from the group. Kyoko turned back to the crowd. “How many of you have seen  _ Heathers _ ?”

_ Oh, God, _ thought Kuon.

The crowd cheered and Chiori hit ‘play.’ 

“Are we gonna have a problem?” Kyoko demanded, a hand on her hip as she stared down Chiori. “You got a bone to pick? You’ve come so far, why now are you pulling on my --” She made a  _ shh _ gesture, winking at the crowd. Between each line, a pulse of music sounded.

Chiori shrunk back, looking intimidated. Kanae and Ruriko just smiled, waiting for their cues. 

“I’d normally slap your face off,” Kyoko continued, “and everyone here could watch!” She gestured to the crowd. “But I’m feeling nice, so here’s some advice. Listen  _ up _ , biatch!” 

The crowd let out a gasp -- from the insult or from the resulting dance choreography, Kuon couldn’t tell. He was just glad, as the song continued, that she was wearing pants. Especially when she did a high kick on “Kicking nerds in the nose!” That move got enough wolf whistles as it was. Kuon spared a moment to note that Kanae had a decent voice. 

The trio chorused, singing aggressively at Chiori (the main character, Veronica, if Kuon’s memory served), “Honey whatcha waiting for? Welcome to my candy store! Time for you to prove you’re not a loser anymore -- and step into my candy store!”

_ Well, guys already fall at her feet. Fortunately, she doesn’t need to be a Heather to do that. Granted, I might have an easier time fighting guys off of her if they were as intimidated of her as people were of her Heather. _ Chiori played both Martha and Veronica for a moment, saying both of their lines, before Ruriko jumped in front of Kyoko to sing, “Honey whatcha waiting for--”

Only to have Kyoko push her out of the way with a, “Shut UP, Heather!” as the song required. Ruriko stumbled but fell back in line, backing up Kyoko’s impressive vocals with Kanae. The three then began circling Chiori, singing, “It’s my candy store, it’s my candy. It’s my candy store, it’s my candy. It’s my candy store, it’s my candy stooooooooooooooooooooooooore!”

The four bowed to the applause (the camera jolted as if the arm holding it was being smacked), and Kyoko asked, “Are you okay, Ruriko-chan?”

“Pssh, of course!” Ruriko laughed it off. “Like we didn’t do that a million times backstage.” She turned to the crowd. “Let me tell you, that song is one  _ heck _ of a vocal warm-up! But let’s give some love to these non-Queens,” she smirked, gesturing to Chiori and Kanae, “for getting dragged into this. What was it, something about a girls’ night…?” She let her sentence trail off as the crowd applauded. Chiori and Kanae bowed again and retreated to their table. Neither of them were aiming for musicals, but publicity was publicity. 

“Soooo, we have time for one more song! What do you think, Ruriko-chan?” Kyoko tilted her head adorably, her smile bright. Kuon wanted to hug her. She really loved live performances, even if they exhausted her. The crowd interaction she got during these additional performances was probably one of her favorite parts of being in  _ Six _ \-- right up there with her fellow queens and playing royalty. 

“I dunno,” Ruriko replied with a devilish grin, “how about we let the crowd decide? Anything from  _ Six _ or  _ Heathers _ is up for grabs, as long as it’s feasible with two people. Well, except for Kat’s song. For obvious reasons.”

Kyoko stuck out her tongue at her fellow queen, then turned to the audience. “Okay, let’s see some hands! Who’s got a song for us to sing?”

The camera jolted; text on screen explained that their hand had shot up. Kyoko scanned the crowd for a moment before pointing right at the camera with a grin. “Me?” Kuon heard the poster say (a girl, judging by the voice). Kyoko nodded encouragingly. The room went quiet enough for the poster to shout, “Um, “Dead Girl Walking,” please? With you singing Veronica and Ruriko-sama as J.D., please, Kyouko-sama?”

After getting a subtle nod from Asu (or so Kuon assumed, judging by where her gaze went), Kyoko tilted her head at Ruriko. “Does that work for you?”

“Yeah, it’s a duet, I’ve got the range for J.D. Just don’t expect us to do much of a dance for this one!” she joked. The crowd laughed. Kyoko sauntered over to the karaoke machine to select the song. Then her posture changed; a new persona seemed to fall over her. And Kuon recognized it. 

Setsu. She was building off of Setsu for this song. She was channeling Setsu for the sexiest song in the damn musical. And he had thought  _ Candy Store _ would be rough.  _ Why couldn’t they have requested… literally anything else? _

The camera zoomed in on Kyoko as she opened her mouth. Her voice came out deeper and throatier -- the one she’d used for certain parts of Kat’s song, and one he’d had the privilege to hear during this very song at home. Not that she had serenaded him with it -- gods, he wished -- she sang in the shower, and the walls between the bathroom and bedroom were thin. He had been  _ very _ glad to have the second shower that night.

“The demon queen of high school has decreed it…” She sang about how she would be socially dead come Monday, debating her options. And then she turned, spotted Ruriko across the stage, and grinned wickedly. “Here’s an option that I like: Spend these 30 hours getting frea-kaaaaaaaaaay!” The look on her face was one Kuon would like to see more often, in  _ private _ . “I need it hard, I’m a dead girl walking!”

Kuon’s mouth went dry, and the poster dropped her camera. She scrambled to pick it up as Kyoko stalked across the stage, ‘breaking into’ the room. 

“Veronica? What are you doing in my room?” Ruriko asked, her voice impressively deep. She squinted suspiciously at Kyoko.

“Shhhh.” She placed a finger over Ruriko’s lips. “Sorry, but I really had to wake you.” Her soft, apologetic expression changed to something else entirely as her hand moved to grip her singing partner’s jaw. “See I’ve decided I must ride you ‘til I  _ break you _ .”

Kuon heard the poster whimper and heartily agreed. He almost missed the next line, too lost in his fantasies.

“Shut your mouth,” Kyoko pushed Ruriko’s chin up, doing just that, “and lose those tighty-whitieeees!” She yanked Ruriko up against her by her skirt’s belt loops, a roguish grin on her face. She winked at the whooping audience. 

Kuon was trying to figure out how and  _ why _ Asu had approved of this. He certainly didn’t -- at least, not unless he could be her partner, and their performance happened in their apartment. Maybe she would be up for it once  _ Six _ wrapped and she had more time to sleep?

A few lines later, Kyoko’s voice softened, “And you know, you know, you know, it’s ‘cause you’re beautiful.” 

Ruriko played up the comedy of it to the crowd, fanning herself and batting her eyelashes.  _ I know _ , she mouthed. The audience laughed, breaking some of the tension in the room. Kuon was just wishing she was singing those words to him. 

“Let’s make this beau-tiii-fuuuul!” 

Ruriko joined in with a dramatic shrug. “That works for me! Oop --”

Instead of pulling her down into certain activities, Kyoko started leading Ruriko in a sort of mock tango as they sang. “Full steam ahead, take this dead girl walking!”

Ruriko, being pulled along, sang with a note a panic in her voice, “How’d you find my address?” She shot a wide-eyed look at the crowd, making them laugh harder.

Kyoko spun Ruriko into a dip. “Let’s break the bed,  _ rock _ this dead girl walking!”

She glanced at the floor, inches below her, and replied, “I think we tore my mattress!”

Kyoko fought back a giggle as she sang her next lines, leading Ruriko into a wilder and wilder mock-tango, spinning her out and away on the final “Yeahs” of the song, ending with a dramatic dip where she pretended Ruriko was an air guitar on the ending “Oh.”

The crowd burst into applause and laughter. Kuon grinned at the video, where Kyoko and Ruriko were bowing and saying their goodbyes. She’d done a phenomenal job leading in both the dance and the song -- even if her partner had gotten most of the laughs. It was a good approach, adding comedy to an otherwise very hot-and-heavy song. It would definitely help their images in the long run, and hopefully dispel any rumors.  _ We want rumors, just about Kyoko and  _ me _. Maybe I should brush up on my singing, get it public-ready. _ Kuon was a decent singer, but nothing outstanding. At least he didn’t jump octaves mid-word, like Dad.

Comedy aside… that was one hell of a performance. He had the feeling he would be watching it a few more times tonight. But first, he wanted to see what the comment section was saying. And this time, Kyoko wasn’t here to stop him from posting if one of them dared badmouth her.  _ Ah, it looks like CorvidLuver recorded the video. _

**CorvidLuver:** OMG GUYS I’M DEAD *skull emoji* She talked to me!!! She picked me!!! I’m dead. In heaven. Don’t wake me up, ever ever ever. 

**Kyouko-Sama’s-Girl:** Lucky!!!! Thanks for the amazeballs vid!!!! Her vocals have knocked me dead. I’m definitely looking up  _ Heathers _ later.

**MioSama:** I’m trying to decide if she’s a better Heather Chandler or Veronica Sawyer. Because “Candy Store” was WOW but “Dead Girl Walking” has me questioning my sexuality, ngl.

**KitKatHoward:** Pls we’re all gay for Kyouko-san. Also, can we talk about how awesome that beheaded cousins’ duet was? *heart eyes* Ruriko-san is one hell of an Anne! And Kyouko-san’s voice meshed so well for the backups. And their expressions? So cheeky I’m dead xxx

**AllUWannaDo:** LOL yes! Rewatching now. I’m so jel you got to be there, corvid! You bless us with your sharing *heart emoji* Too bad they couldn’t do a live “All You Wanna Do,” but like, I get it. Kyouko-san has a point with the whole too-dark thing. Big yikes *eyes*

**KyoukoMyQu33n:** Can we talk “Candy Store”? I’m talking “Candy Store.” Omg y’all. I was sooo confused when she called Kanae-san and Chiori-san up on stage, but it made so much sense the minute the song started playing. I could totally see the three of them as Heathers; Nacchan proves she can be a Queen Bitch. So

Kuon snorted. Kyoko had referred to Natsu by her nickname in an interview exactly once, and the fans had pounced on it. He leaned over and grabbed a bottle of water from the minifridge.

**KyoukoMyQueen:** (lol, hit enter too soon, too HYPED) So she would be an amazing Heather C. And oh my GOD her voice. That bit at the end??? Did you hear her vocals? I’m dying. Amazing. Can I be Veronica? I wanna be Veronica in this and be intimidated/seduced. Please please please? *pleading eyes*

**MioSama** : Oookay, have some chill? Her vocals are as amazing as expected, though. Wish I could’ve been there! I wonder if she’s going to branch out more into music after this?

**KitKatHoward:** Um, YES PLEASE. More Kyouko-san singing? I’m so down. I wonder if she’d write her own stuff or just do covers. 

**NarniaCat:** Isn’t she super into fairy tales? She could do like, Disney covers or something. 

**SaltyOnigiri:** Ooh, that’d be so cool! I’d love to hear a ballad from her. Most of what we’ve heard her sing is so high-energy.

**CorvidLuver:** Um, how are we ignoring “Dead Girl Walking” here???? Her incredible performance with Ruriko-san??? Have they done this before or was this spontaneous? I need answers! Bc the implications of them doing this before is driving me wild here! And that CHEMISTRY OMG. Sorry Kanae-sama, I think you’ve got a rival for my Kyouko-sama OTP. 

**Kyouko-Sama’s-Girl:** Omg you traitor XD Kyounae is life! But it  _ was _ super hot.

**CorvidLuver:** And we definitely know who tops *eyes* *eyes* *eyes*

Kuon choked on his water.  _ How do I always forget how crude fans can get? _ He pushed down a hot wave of jealousy.  _ He _ knew that the two were best friends, no romance involved. But seeing people ship them like this….

**PrinceCorn:** You’re forgetting that this is a performance! They even played up the comedy of it to let us know that nothing’s going on. And Kyouko-sama’s made it super clear in interviews that she’s all hyper around Kanae-san because she was her first female friend. Plus, isn’t she with Tsuruga?

**GooseQueen:** I mean, all evidence points that way, but a girl can be bi. They could even be poly… but I don’t know if they’d be able to hide something like that from the press. 

**SunlitKook:** Yeah, I personally ship her with Ren-san, but I can see her being bi. I defy you to find a straight girl who is that excited (pun intended) to see someone who’s just her “best friend.” So I vote she’s with Ren-san but has a small crush on Kanae-san. Tho she said she grew up pretty traditional, so she probably doesn’t realize that’s what it is.

_ Great. Another reason to be jealous of Kanae-san. _ Kuon let out a groan.  _ Dammit, I can’t wait until we can put all these rumors to rest. _

**SmordsNBirbs:** Valid! Also, did y’all see  this ? 

Kuon clicked on the link, opening it in another tab so he didn’t lose his place. He grinned. It was a picture of him wearing one of the limited-edition  _ Six _ t-shirts that the whole cast had signed.  _ Good, I’d hoped that someone had seen that. _

**MainlyMaineCoons:** Ugh, he’s so hot!

**SmordsNBirbs:** Yes, totes drool-worthy. But also, he’s wearing another  _ Six _ tee! 

**TartanDoggo:** I mean, didn’t she say she was going to see if they could send him one during her Kat livestream?

**ShogaInTogas:** _Getting_ something is a far cry from _wearing_ it! Have you ever seen him wear merch from another thing he wasn’t in? And how much do you think he’s gotten since the first time he wore the Kat tee?

Answer: Way too much. He’d donated most of it, except for a few related to things Kyoko liked. And, of course, the  _ Yappa Kimagure Rock _ shirt. 

**MioSama:** He wore that variety show t-shirt.

**SaltyOnigiri:** Yeah, the one with Bo on it!

**MioSama:** Are you still on about that Kyouko-as-Bo theory?

Kuon did a spit-take and decided to give up on his water.

**SaltyOnigiri:** YES! Their mannerisms are WAY too similar. Plus, Kyouko-san is friends with them but has never been a guest on their show! What’s up with that? Even Kanae-san and Chiori-san have been on it. But like, never Kyouko-san. UNLESS SHE’S BO. And has  _ been _ Bo from the beginning! Except for like, that one episode where Bo was so subdued that everyone complained. Who else would  _ become _ a chicken like that? It’s gotta be her!

He rolled around on the bed, laughing hysterically, and barely managed to type out a response.

**PrinceCorn:** Bo’s a rooster. 

(In his defense, Kyoko had drilled that into him.)

**SaltyOnigiri:** UGH, whatever! It doesn’t change the fact that I don’t know who else would be able to make it look like Bo’s alive and not just someone in a costume!

**NarniaCat:** Then why isn’t she listed in the credits? Like, I get not doing so at first (your timeline would put this as like, her first role?), but now she’s a big name. I can’t see it being her anymore, if it ever was. 

**SaltyOnigiri:** Are you saying she’d be that stuck-up to leave a good role cuz it’s a mascot job?

**NarniaCat:** No no no of course not! *sweats* I’m just saying she’s probably waaay too busy for a variety show spot. Especially since she’s been Kat. 

**GooseQueen:** It would explain why Ren-san always lists the show as one of his favorites…. *chicken emoji*

**SaltyOnigiri:** HAH! Goose agrees with me, I win. 

**CorvidLuver:** Why are we fighting about Bo when we could be discussing Kyoko as Veronica vs Kyoko as Heather Chandler???

**Kyouko-Sama’s-Girl:** Either can step on me *drool* (So can Kat, for that matter xD)

Kuon agreed, even if he didn’t type it into the chat. 

**KyoukoMyQueen:** Also can we talk about that high kick in Candy Store??? It was like a vertical split! Like, we knew from Momiji that she was strong and fast, but she’s so flexible!!! So that, combined with Dead Girl Walking… I am very happy xD

**SaltyOnigiri:** I wanna vote for Heather C, since I feel like Kyouko-san would get a kick out of being a “ghost” onstage *ghost emoji*

**SunlitKook:** Mmm, I feel like Heather C would be too much like Nacchan. Veronica would help her branch out more, ya know? And then we’d also get the Dead Girl Walking reprise *eyes*

Kuon scrolled through the chat a little longer, enjoying the comments. At least, he was enjoying them until he read:

**Songstress325:** Oooh, what if we got Fuwacchi to sing Dead Girl Walking with her? They already know each other, from the Prisoner PV, sooo do you think we could get him to do it?

**PrinceCorn:** What if we got Ren-san to do it instead? *eyes* It would be a good way to test our theories on whether or not they’re dating! 

Okay, so he definitely needed to get in contact with a vocal coach. But there was no way he would be able to stay sane if Fuwa got involved with that song. And he wanted to keep the rumors going in the right direction. 

**MainlyMaineCoons:** OMG YES. We haven’t heard Ren-sama sing, have we? I bet his voice is all smooth and deep and sexy. 

**NarniaCat:** Uh, yes please. Even better, what if his voice is kinda raspy? Kinda like a smoker vibe?

Kuon touched his throat self-consciously.  _ Maybe I should’ve thought this through a little more. _

**TartanDoggo:** What if he can’t sing at all? Lol

**MrsTsurugaRen:** Blasphemy! Ren-sama can do everything perfectly! 

Disinterested now that the conversation was about him, Kuon scrolled back up to the video.  _ I have enough time before bed to watch it a few more times. _ He hit play. A smile crept onto his face as he watched Kyoko (and friends) perform, his fingers ghosting over the shaky image of her on the screen.  _ I can’t wait to go home to her. _

He noticed new things on his second watch: The way she swung her long, pink ponytail in the background of Anne’s song. The cheeky little winks she would throw to the crowd while singing backup. The way her eyes danced under the stage lights. The little things she and Ruriko did to hype up the crowd. The precise way she spoke to the audience -- inviting and open, but still formal enough to be Kyoko. The enticing way she walked as Heather Chandler, sexy and intimidating all at once. How her shades of Setsu in Veronica had made her even sultrier, made her demands even more irresistible. The look in her eyes, distant as they were in the video, that burned him.  _ Maybe I shouldn’t have suggested doing a duet on the forum. Maybe I’ll want to keep that all to myself. Because if that’s how sexy she looks performing with Ruriko-san… I wonder if I could pull something stronger out of her. Rather, I wonder if we’d be able to feed off of each other to make it stronger. As long as we don’t forget we’re meant to be singing. _

Kuon sighed and replayed the video.  _ One more day and I’ll be back in her arms. _

**vVvVvVvVvVv**

His phone buzzed just as he stepped out of the elevator onto their floor. He pulled out his phone, eager to see if it was an update from Kyoko. Instead, what he saw were screenshots -- ones of his activity on that fan page last night. He had a sneaking suspicion that Yashiro was to blame. He just sent a heart back to her; he knew that she didn’t mind him going on there as long as he didn’t cuss out any of her haters. With his phone back in his pocket, he strode down the hall and unlocked the door to their apartment. 

“I’m home!” he called out. 

His heart leapt as she answered, “Welcome home!”

He shucked off his shoes and dumped his bag in the entryway, hurrying to where he’d heard her voice. Only to find Kyoko sitting on the back of the couch, clad in something that probably used to be Setsu’s. She gave him a sultry little smirk and pressed a button on their stereo’s remote. A familiar tune filled the air.

“I heard you wanted a dead girl walking?”

**Yes, I’m leaving it right there. Yes, I’m evil.**

**Ignoring that, what did you think?**


End file.
